Originally Posted by bmcgilvray

I've got the M1A that I want. It's an early Springfield Armory standard model. No "loaded," no "match grade," no shorty model, no scope. Only one opinion but I do like the better ballistics rendered from the standard length barrel and prefer to keep the muzzle blast farther away from me so don't want anything to do with any of the short-barreled versions. Compactness is over-rated in my view and wouldn't likely actually be as enjoyable to shoot over the long term.

This rifle is equipped with an SAK 1-69 barrel and is good for 1 1/2-inch 5-shot groups at 100 yards from a bench rest, 1 1/4-inch if I'm really in the shooting mood.

It's been a dependable rifle for high-power competition shooting at the local level and is great fun for long range plinking sessions from a canyon rim.